There are multiple reasons people may pray and ask for prayers. A lot of people find prayer comforting and it makes some feel like they are able to something while they feel completely helpless in the face of such a tragedy.

I am not one who pins prayers on everything that happens to me, but I don’t judge those who do. Having been raised super Catholic, I can appreciate that people can and do find comfort in prayer. I have nothing negative to say about these people, prayer isn’t going to hurt and for many, many people it helps.

When I am stressed out, I sometimes take a moment of prayer to center myself and remind myself that there are forces than me at work.

It’s not that I think praying will change what happened, it’s that I am praying for the swift recovery of the injured, and for the peace and comfort of those who are hurting over losing a loved one or just from the emotional trauma.

I am assuming that the people at whom you scoff, meant the same thing with their heartfelt sentiments. If you insist on calling prayer warriors “stupid,” instead of attempting to understand the actual reason behind it, then you’ll never get it, so there’s no point in asking.

Make themselves feel better (especially when they feel helpless).

Sure, I’m one of those people. We pray that God will ease the pain of the families and victims because that’s what we’re supposed to do as Christians. I guess it would be like doing something good for society.

Some people believe in religion; there’s not really an answer for it. Yes, it doesn’t make sense, but it makes sense to them, for some reason. It’s not really a big deal.

Perhaps they’re asking for prayers for the victims and/or their families to get through this – to give them strength and support. Religious folks believe God can provide that strength and support, and prayer is their way of reaching out to him.

What’s so hard to understand? Feel free not to pray if you don’t believe. If it gives someone comfort during a hard time, who cares?

Prayer, I think, helps some feel like they are doing something when it is impossible for them to physically do so no matter how much they want to.
It is somewhat cathartic in that it helps assuage the guilt they are feeling because of their impotence or powerlessness in a given situation. In most cases these feelings are not justified but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. If it makes you happy, do it.

Why is this hard to comprehend?

I’m not a theist of any stripe, and I haven’t had a prayer for almost a half-century, but this is easy even for an atheist like me to get.

People who believe in God or gods believe that It or they have the power to give people strength, calmness, acceptance, or whatever else it takes to help them to get up every day and go on. They pray for that in a spoken or unspoken request to their God or gods, sometimes for themselves and often for others. What’s not to understand?

I think anyone who has a heart and is religious is already praying. I don’t think they need a Facebook post to be reminded to pray. I’m understanding of the purpose and power of prayer, but I don’t get the facebook thing.

Guys, I wasn’t talking about people who pray in general. Maybe I should have been more clear. My question was targeted more towards why people feel the need to post it all over Facebook and to even ask other people to pray. I’m an agnostic/atheist but it doesn’t bother me when someone is religious. I just wanted to know from a psychological standpoint why people feel the need to do this.

I think it makes people feel like they have accomplished something – while doing nothing. If a “Loving God” had existed, why would he have allowed the bombs to explode? The whole “Prayer fixes everything” mentality leaves me wondering where people’s minds are. Prayer accomplishes nothing.

@NostalgicChills I’m guessing the facebook posters are also drama kings and queens? I suspect they’re doing it to make themselves feel good or to make them look good to others. If they were serious they’d do it privately.

I think that most of the people who say this do not actually follow through by literally praying. It is a little like saying “Bless you” after someone sneezes.

Those who do actually pray probably hope that their god will (either by direct intervention or by moving people’s hearts) do any or all of the following: ease the victims’ physical pain, make people less fearful or less violent, allow access to heaven for those who died, make sure the perpetrator is found, make people forgive the perpetrator, give strength to people like first responders, doctors, and law enforcement officers, and overall make everyone a better and happier person. Among many other things.

In all seriousness, why question a personal act of faith that others have found comforting since the dawn of time?

@Adirondackwannabe I think you make a great point. Most of my Facebook friends who have posted about praying for Boston are the ones who love, love, love the drama. They are the ones who share all of the missing kid, sick kid, dying kid, hurt animals, etc. stuff. It is all about the drama and if they don’t have enough of their own to be satiated, they will latch on to others’ drama.

By praying, they can get the feeling of having done something, without actually doing anything

“What the hell is praying going to do? The event already happened, no one has any control over it.” is not asking about why people post it on Facebook. It’s asking why people pray.

If you want to ask the question, then ask the question. But don’t backpedal and claim you were asking something different. That would be like someone asking, “Why are more crimes committed by black people?” then saying, “No, wait, what I really meant was why is there more media attention on crimes committed by black people?” That’s not what was asked.

@WillWorkForChocolate
Well that is what I meant to ask.

@NostalgicChills I hate to say it, but your tags totally back up @WillWorkForChocolate‘s point. Facebook is not among the tags, but stupidity is.

It helps people feel like they are doing something. It also is an expression of people caring when someone says they are praying it sends a message that they are thinking about those who have been affected, that they are not alone and people empathasize with what has happened. Many people believe the act of prayer focuses God, or a saint, or whatever or whoever the person prays to, to help the person suffering. It is a calming force for inidividuals who are praying, they can unburden themselves by asking God for help. I don’t mean to say they are not willing to help in other ways, ony that when things are out of ones control they can still pray, and praying along with taking tangibile action can’t hurt.

If they really want to help they should do something real and positive.

Sitting in the comfort of your living room, bedroom, or kitchen and wishing/meditating/praying is not going to help anyone except the meditater. Want to really help? Offer to cut the grass, cook a meal, pick up the trash, baby sit their kids, clean the road way, donate clothes, read to a kid, volunteer…. the list is endless. Pay it forward.
There are so many ways we can truly make a difference in people’s lives.

Call me a skeptic but I have never seen a documented, measurable, first-hand case where a prayer helped. On the other hand, I have seen many cases where actual acts of kindness have made a positive difference.

@SuperMouse
Yeah, stupidity as in the people on Facebook.

Sorry, but no. Perhaps that’s what you wish you had asked, after receiving comments that make the foot in your mouth feel uncomfortable. But that’s a completely different question than the one you did ask. “What do people think praying will do?” is totally different than “Why do people post on Facebook about praying?”

In all seriousness, prayers are an expression of symphaty and emphaty. Nothing wrong with that. I don’t do it. Don’t believe in it but when I wish for those families of victims to hopefully have some sense of peace soon, that is almost akin to “praying” in my view.

@WillWorkForChocolate
Ha, don’t tell me what I “wish” I’d asked.

@WillWorkForChocolate Did you get up on the wrongside of the bed this morning. I got her point. Easy ladies.
Edit: I really should learn to keep my mouth shut.

Their prayers or positive thoughts went to the victims and the injured and their families who need strength. There is documented evidence that prayer can be healing.

@Adirondackwannabe Nope. Backpedaling to try and save face or change what you said is more irritating than the actual question.

I think what some of you don’t understand is that Christianity is not only a personal relationship with God, but that sharing that faith with your community strengthens you all.

Not only is it normally considered a good thing to pray for someone (except on fluther apparently) but it also is a reminder to us to turn to our God for comfort in a horrible situation like this where there is little comfort to be found.

@LuckyGuy I would say to you that a LOT of people help in situations like these, a lot of people practice random acts of kindness, but not everyone prays, not everyone has money to send, not everyone can take off to go help immediately, so for Christians this is a normal occurance. When I told @nofurbelow I’d pray for her cat last week, I did it.

@WillWorkForChocolate I’m going to respectfully disagree with you on that. And I hope you respect me enough to take another look at the details. It could be worded better, but I’ve done the same thing. She isn’t dissing the idea of praying as much as the idea of publicizing it on social media. I don’t know her views on religion, but I think it’s the idea of putting it all over facebook that annoyed her.

@KNOWITALL And when I’ve asked the Fluther community for prayers, I really meant it. I didn’t do it for drama, I did it because I needed prayer. But hey, if asking people to pray for my daughter who had a fractured skull, or asking people to pray for my husband’s family while they watch a beloved family member die painfully, makes me a drama queen, then so be it.

edit to respond to below comment: I’ve taken nothing out of context.

@WillWorkForChocolate
Oh please.
Now you’re taking other people’s words out of context.

@WillWorkForChocolate You know me better than that. I was not inferring you are a drama queen. I believe in the power of positive thoughts. In whatever form we respond to. Life’s rough sometimes, it helps to have some good thoughts sent our way.
Edit: Note to self. Really keep your mouth shut. I apologize to anyone I offended.

I think that religion was used by early man to explain things he had no understanding of (what holds the Earth up, what makes the Sun move across the sky, what causes lightning, why do people get sick…). By inventing a Sky Daddy and claiming that He was in charge of all these mysterious and frightening things, early man set aside and helped manage his own fears. Even today, we look to prayer for comfort in things where our sense of control, of being able to do something meaningful about them, is minimal to nonexistent. It makes us feel better if we can convince ourselves that we’ve asked Sky Daddy to handle it and He will.

But I think that even people who claim to believe in the infinite power of prayer know in their heart of hearts that they are kidding themselves. We pray for people to recover from life threatening illnesses or injuries because we know that sometimes people do. Even though the recovery rate is the same for atheists with no prayer, when we pray and the theists does get better, we shout hallelujah and swear it’s a miracle. But who is praying that those whose legs were blown off in the Boston Marathon Bombing will sprout new legs? We know that doesn’t happen, and if it did it would be a real miracle. We don’t pray for real miracles—ones that couldn’t possibly occur with out an omnipotent god bending the laws of the Universe.

@KNOWITALL I know a lot of people help. You can see them running toward the smoke. They are the ones carrying victims, working in the hospitals, helping remove damaged. material, endless. .Now the victims need help with other things. Any real act of kindness we do will help the world in more ways than we realize.
I contend that even picking up the trash on the side of the road 1000 miles away, does more than sitting in a living room, watching a wide screen TV and praying for the victims.

many people are suffering. is the meaning of the question title really that important right now? take a deep breath, please.

@Adirondackwannabe, @NostalgicChills has a bit of a track record of discussing religion in a negative way here on Fluther, so I for one take the “clarification” with a grain of salt
Let’s take a look at the way the actual question is worded:

What the hell is praying going to do? The event already happened, no one has any control over it. Could it be that people say this to feel like they’re doing something good for society? What are your thoughts on people who constantly say things like that? Are you one of those people?

There is absolutely nothing there about Facebook. I agree with @WillWorkForChocolate, once the responses were not supportive of referring to people wanting/offering prayers on Facebook as stupid (it is there in the tags), the OP backed off. The only mention of Facebook is the description of seeing posts there.

@ETpro I must say, I don’t believe in the infinite power of prayer to heal or grow back limbs nor do most of the people of faith I know. What I do believe in is the power of prayer in helping people face difficult situations such as these.

I think that if we are really talking about all of the prayer posts on Facebook (as I have said I am dubious, I think this question was designed as a clever slap at theists), in many cases we are talking about people who post all of these types of things to up the drama quotient. I also think there are many people who ask and give prayers freely because they are wanted and needed and they believe strongly in the power of community prayer. These are not the drama-lovers who glom onto every tragedy. These are people who find comfort in prayer.

@Adirondackwannabe But apparently, if I were serious about it, I would have just prayed privately, instead of publicly discussing it on Facebook. Or Fluther.

I also mentioned the Boston tragedy on Facebook yesterday, not to be a drama queen, but out of genuine sympathy for everyone affected. Don’t you think those who have been affected by it really appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and support on Facebook, instead of condemning everyone for being dramatic?

^^ That’s my answer to the “what I really meant was” question. Sympathy and support.

@SuperMouse Thank you. I’m glad I’m not the only one who knows how to recognize a backpedal.

@WillWorkForChocolate Yeah, I’ve got a few jellies on my fb and they see that I call a group “Prayer Warriors” and they meet every Wednesday at church to pray for complete strangers, friends, family, our President and anyone else they feel needs it.

I don’t really expect atheists to understand, but I think there’s a lot of people with love in their hearts that believe that prayer works and God is real, and to us, that overrides the negativity we hear on the daily. Sometimes Christians remind each other to pray as well.

@LuckyGuy Maybe we pick up trash and pray as well, maybe we march for the rights of the unborn and then pray, maybe we donate our time at women’s shelters and pray for them while we’re there. Who says prayer is the only action any person who prays takes? I’ll tell you that I personally don’t know any Christian who prays and sits all day unless they’re in an nursing home or something.

Woo-Hoo !!
Pissin’ Match !
All in!

@WillWorkForChocolate Then I owe you an apology. I’m sorry. I wasn’t differentiating between those that put they’re prayers out there to look good, and those that do it sincerely. It was my error.

@rojo lol, way to lighten it up!!

@SuperMouse When you quoted @NostalgicChills you didn’t include the following (which happened to come before the quote you posted): This question is regarding the unfortunate events of the Boston Bombing and people’s responses to it on social media. Following the news of this event, *I logged into my Facebook only to find several, several posts saying “Praying for Boston right now” or asking people to “pray”.

@NostalgicChills also said this “I know this might be a little controversial, but I’m going to put it out there anyways.” You all have fun throwing poo at each other. I’ve got my own shit to deal with. :P

What really gets my goat, peppers my porridge, annoys my antelope, etc, are people who pray in their pajamas and then put f***n food stamps in the collection basket! ;-o

@Adirondackwannabe I think you’re assuming that many of them are just doing it to look good, when they’re really not. About half of the people on my Facebook page were “praying for Boston” yesterday, and none seemed insincere to me.

@Brian1946 roflmao

@Brian1946 I know, Right? That’s why I take them back out and put them in my pocket for later. The food stamps, not the pajamas.

I have to go grocery shopping in a few minutes. Can I still wear my pajamas if I don’t have food stamps?

As it says in the bible, Genesis, chapter 3…“We have to pray, just to make it today.”
A direct quote from the most outspoken disciple of them all, M.C Hammer…cool pants fella.

No. What are you gonna keep in your PJ pockets! Take your stamps, if you don’t want them, stop into a church and drop them off.

@WillWorkForChocolate I have a hot button for those that do it insincerely, you have a hot button for those the question the sincereity. It’s amazing our kids turned out so well.

Probably because we teach our kids to question everything without being rude about it, even though we do the opposite. <sigh> I’m even more tired now.

@ucme
can’t touch this

^^Depends if we’re talking about breasts or testicles,.

@WillWorkForChocolate Intense discussions get my brain going. I’ll behave better.

@ucme
O_O

If your breasts/testicles look like that then I will pray for you.

@ucme You’ve already touched my breasts. Or maybe that was just a dream… does that mean I’m pregnant?

@WillWor…...oh fuck it, too long, @Abby They felt divine & if I made you pregnant i’m amazed, all I done was squeeze ya nipples!

@WillWorkForChocolate “About half of the people on my Facebook page were “praying for Boston” yesterday, and none seemed insincere to me.”

Yeah… but results probably vary between those who have Facebook friends who are mostly religious and those who have Facebook friends who are mostly agnostics. I have no problem believing that of those who posted statuses about prayer, most of your friends were sincere, while most of @Adirondackwannabe‘s were not.

Like I said earlier, some people think that just saying “I’m praying for them” is sufficient, a way to express a feeling of empathy. It’s not actually prayer, though.

@ucme Isn’t there a term “Breasticles”?

Oh yeah, here we go, from Urban Dictionary:
breasticles

1. The rounded organs situated on a female chest. They come in many shapes and sizes and are often used for persuasion. “Look at the breasticles on her!”

2. another word to add to the list of words that are, and will always be BREASTS. “I have rather large breasticles.”

3. Breasts which, at one time, were very large but have become saggy, thus resembling testicles. “Don’t let your mom on the trampoline! She’ll beat herself to death with those breasticles!”

@glacial I have quite a lot of agnostic/atheist friends on Facebook, and many of them were posting sympathetic statuses, which seemed sincere as well. Maybe @Adirondackwannabe just knows too many fake people. :(

@rojo You just ruined a beautiful moment, I had a semi too :-(

I’m not on facebook so I don’t know that answer for sure. Maybe fake people annoy me so much I notice them more. Interesting answer. I’l have to watch that for a few days and let you know what I find out.

@WillWorkForChocolate Fair enough. I don’t mean to say that people don’t sincerely feel empathy; I just don’t think everyone who says “I’m praying for them” actually stops and says a literal prayer.

@KNOWITALL Sorry. I was called away for a bit and I see there are a pile of responses between us. Hopefully you will still see this. It’s a response to your comment: “Who says prayer is the only action any person who prays takes? I’ll tell you that I personally don’t know any Christian who prays and sits all day unless they’re in an nursing home or something…”

I have no trouble with praying as long as people are doing something else positive.
A person who sends out a FB post saying “pray for the victims” while they have a second tab open searching youtube for the latest slo-mo videos of the explosion, seems worse than hypocritical.

I just heard the bombs were in 6 liter pressure cookers. We know what’s next on the list of items to make illegal. I’ll bet they bought them without a permit or background check. Will we still be able to buy them at GoodWill without license or will that be considered a private sale loophole?

@ucme I’m soo sorry! Was it definition 3?

I knew I should have left that off

@SuperMouse I think that was my point. Prayer can make people feel better in situations they otherwise feel helpless to control. To me, it is rather like giving someone a sugar pill and telling them it will cure cancer. In fact, cancer does sometimes go into remission, and giving a placebo to a cancer patient or organizing a prayer circle both engage the placebo effect—where those who think something has been done to make them recover fully engage their own bodily immune system and do sometimes recover.

Here’s a slide show of Bostonians and others around the country actually doing things that will in some way help those hurt, the families of those who lost loved ones, or the community in general heal. I agree with @LuckyGuy that real action is more meaningful.

Here’s the text of an email that Boston Atheists just sent. I like its call for real action that will offer real help, not just a sugar pill, comforting though that may be.

“Zachary Bos via meetup.com”

“8:48 PM (16 hours ago)

“to bostonatheists.
We know that we’re not alone among atheists and other secular people
in wanting to show sympathy and support in response to today’s
tragedy. Although prayer isn’t for us an option, we are ready to help
by working with the Red Cross and other emergency and community
organizations in any way possible.

“Leaders of local secular organizations like the Boston Atheists and
the Secular Coalition for Massachusetts have been diligently
monitoring communications for any opportunity to respond
constructively to the tragic events of the day. We may have a
different religious perspective, but on days like today, those
differences pale in comparison to what brings us all together as
members of the community.

“Our thanks go to the first responders and other support staff have
came to the aid of the victims in Copley Square today, and who have
been working since then to protect our safety. Above all, our thoughts
and compassion are with the victims and their families.

”[cosigned]

“Zachary Bos, Co-chair, Secular Coalition for Massachusetts
Massachusetts State Director, American Atheists
Immediate Past President, Boston Atheists
Email: zbos@atheists.org;

“Ellery Schempp, Co-chair, Secular Coalition for Massachusetts
Email: massachusetts@secular.org;

“Mr. Josiah Van Vliet, President, Boston Atheists
Email: president@bostonatheists.org;

“DISTRIBUTE WIDELY – How to help:
1. Offer to babysit for friends or neighbors who because of today’s
events would be helped by such support
2. Sign up for aid appeals from the Red Cross at
https://www.redcross.org/accounthelp/createAccount.jsp
3. The Boston Police Department asks anyone with information about
today’s events to call 1–800-494-TIPS
4. To access a public spreadsheet of people who were in Boston for the
Marathon and now need a place to stay: http://bit.ly/Boston-housing .”

@rojo Yeah, the thought of my mothers tits is instantly going to lose any boner I may have had…my aunties though, now ya talkin!

That reminds me of something annoying I once saw;
A family friend had died a while ago, I actually found people posting things like ‘RIP’ on his wall on Facebook… He’s dead. Why are you doing that? He won’t answer. This isn’t a birthday wish. It pissed me off.

@LuckyGuy I truly don’t expect non-Christians to ‘get it’, really I don’t, but for us it’s a show of respect and emotion to send prayers (some call them positive vibes instead) for others.

Now that this Q has degenerated into tasteless jokes, as usual with religion here on fluther, I’ll move on. Humor is great in the appropriate time and place, but a Q about prayer and Boston? To me that is in very poor taste.

I have to agree that this thread deserves more respect than the testicle and breast jokes are giving it.

As an atheist, I don’t pray. But I do something just about equal to that in its effect…I ‘send positive thoughts’. I don’t really expect that it actually helps anyone, but I do it anyway, more as a sign of support and solidarity. So, religious folks have got a better reason than I do, really. In addition to showing support, they offer prayers for those who are suffering in the belief that it really will help. I can certainly understand that, and find no fault in it.

@KNOWITALL Theist or atheist, I totally agree with your reaction to the display of poor taste.

Peace ya’ll, not used to the big city callousness yet.

Prayer is for the prayer not the prayee. It makes people feel good/better in times of trouble.

Easy peasy.

I like this short quote that Upworthy.com just sent to my email box.

@ETpro
I like that quote.

prayer is communication to God, NOT to men. When someone prays he is actually seeking God’s intervention in a situation, mind you there are types or approaches to prayer (worship, petitions, you get me). In this scenario I believe people praying would be to ask God to bring relevant remedy. But sometimes prayers would not bring desired outcomes based on different factors which i wont mention in here. We pray for victims, like in this case the mourning associates with hope that God will touch them sometimes the way we desire, but it depends on what God has chosen to do. Ours is just to hope we prayed according to his will.

whatever man does fulfill the plan of God, either bad or good. Creation references God!

Wow. Sorry I’m so late.

To me the prayers are being answered. The moment the bombs went off if I could hear out loud peoples thoughts who were caught in the midst of the chaos, I would say prayers were being answered. People responded to the injured so quickly. The act of the bombing was evil.

I believe prayers work if they are meant to work. Just like I believe when it is a persons time to go they go, I also believe God plays a role in this. Because surely we are not put on this perfect planet for this because to me without a God there is no point for our existence.

@KNOWITALL Thanks for the kitty prayer :) she really is doing so well now! We were playing this morning.

@WillWorkForChocolate I meant every prayer I said for you :) I know you weren’t being dramatic. xx

Peeps giving me a GA for the drama queen comment, realize there is a huge difference between drama queen responses and real sincere prayers. We can’t tell from one post. It’s the pattern that matters. And when I say my prayers are with someone I stop and pray. It’s often to different entities, but I always say a prayer.

For those who don’t feel there is anyone “up there” listening and intervening in the laws of the Universe, here’s a way to do something that will help. Atheists—from Boston & elsewhere—raise money for support fund.

I’m confused as to why people pray after disasters, hasn’t god just made it perfectly clear he doesn’t give a fuck?

@ETpro I started thinking about this: “But who is praying that those whose legs were blown off in the Boston Marathon Bombing will sprout new legs?” And thought about stem cells. Before my husband passed he was supposed to have stem cell restoration on his eyes. He had prayed for his eyesight.

I just want to suggest that we may not be that far from growing limbs, that to me is prayers being answered.

On another note I think people look at the lack of not just God Himself but any miracle related happening as proof to the non existence of God and the power of prayer.

When I think of prayers being granted, I would also like to suggest that maybe we are wanting too much favortism included in the miracle, or vice versa.

Either way if we are made in God’s image and we judge our own parenting skills assuming God is our father, then He obviously would have the parenting thing down better than any one of us would, and we all know how well favortism works in any multiple parent child relationship, right?

@nofurbelowsbatgirl Interesting you would mention that. I have a question already composed and ready to ask about stem cells and whether they will eventually allow the regeneration of lost limbs. But till science provides a realistic hope of that coming to pass, religious people don’t pray for it because they know in their heart of hearts that miracles (complete contraventions of the laws governing the Universe) don’t happen. The stuff we call miracles is easily explainable by chance, placebo effect, repressed memories, brain activity while in a coma and the like. Those things, theists pray for because they know they might actually happen.

“I just want to suggest that we may not be that far from growing limbs, that to me is prayers being answered.”
And already I take exception to that.
I find it incredibly dishonest to claim the achievements of the human intellect and the hard work of scientists, engineers and medical professionals, as the ‘work of god’ and ‘answered’ prayers.
It cheapens the work they do, and frankly, it is a massive insult to their efforts and their achievements.
I feel the same way about prayers at the dinner table, thanking him for the food.
It is a direct insult to:
– the cook that prepared the meal
– the shop clerk that sold the ingredients
– the truck driver that transported the food to the shops
– the farmers that own the farms where the food and animals grew.
– the farm workers that harvested the food.
– the biological and chemical scientists that manufacture fertilisers and pesticides
– the engineers and factory workers that designed and built the farm machines.

You do not thank any of these hard working people for what they provided you at your table.
But you should.

Possible NSFW

@ragingloli OK. Did you ever believe in Santa? If my suggesting growing limbs is prayers being answered and that is a direct insult, then someone please stop lying to children so parents can actually take the direct responsibilty for loving their children at christmas time instead of passing it off to some mythical over rated fat jolly guy with flying reindeer. So you apologize first. :P

God made us so He gives us the ability, God also gave us knowledge, that is in the bible. As for placing all achievements on the work of God, that is hardly the case. I find it ignorant that you suggest that I actually believe all work is done by God. I don’t see God in the kitchen and I don’t see any parents flying reindeers around the world either. I also do not just say thank you to God so how dare you single me out!

Everyone plays a part in this story of life and we all should make contributions, but it is both with and without the creator that we are able to contribute, and that is what I say thank you for.

But by my own personal accounts I have more evidence that a creator existed than evidence of santa, yet every year millions of people continue to allow santa to take over christmas instead of proudly displaying their parental christmas “morals”.

@nofurbelowsbatgirl Actually, there is a powder that regrows fingers, or at least finger tips.

Thing is, God failed to give us the ability to regrow limbs, but other animals can. Why? If we discover a way to regrow limbs for humans, is that God? Are we going against God? Against nature? We were not born with the ability, it is not God given.

I think maybe we can say there are scientists who pray, and their prayer helps them in their work, in that the time of prayer might bring them, peace, focus, order, rest, much like meditation, or any quiet time. But, I just never understand why if God wants us to have something would make it so difficult or tricky. What, the people since the beginning of time were not worthy to have their limb back, but anyone born after the incredible scientific discover is?

@nofurbelowsbatgirl Here is the question I was referring to, the one referring to stem cells offering hope of regenerative healing.

I totally agree with @ragingloli & @JLeslie. I would also point out that the argument you present, “God made us so He gives us the ability, God also gave us knowledge, that is in the bible.” is incredibly circular. It is no more logical than to claim, as the Greeks believed, that the Great Zeus made us and He gave us knowledge, or as the ancient Norse claimed Odin made us and He gives us knowledge. Why not Brahmā, the Hindu deva of creation, who emerged from a lotus risen from the navel of Viṣņu, who lies with Lakshmi on the serpent Ananta Shesha? It’s in the Hindu sacred texts, and if you had been born in India to Hindu parents, you would believe that instead of stories about the God of Abraham passed down by word of mouth from one to another prehistoric desert nomad till the wandering tribes of Israel finally learned to write.

I would assume you are atheistic when it comes to Zeus, Odin, Brahmā and Viṣņu. But the evidence for them is every bit as convincing as is the evidence for El.

Finally—and this is getting spooky—I had been tossing around in the back of my head a question about teaching children the Santa myth. I’m still not clear on exactly how to ask it, but your mention of it above is getting me there.

@ETpro Hasn’t the Santa question been asked several times?

@ETpro I never said I was being logical. God talk is never really logical, and yes I can admit that. For me though it is. I can certainly step out of my own comfort zone and into another persons shoes and experience what they feel. Like I understand everything you are saying and all the other points being made, but at the end of the day I feel most happiest when I lay my head down on my pillow and I can talk to God, as illogical as that seems to anyone else, but I also talk to my dead husband so is that just as illogical or to spare my feeling is that ok because it is “part of the grieving process”.

@JLeslie you make a great point! To me, talking to God brings me peace, focus and even answers.

I don’t know if it is a matter of who is or isn’t deserving though. Again, I think a lot of people struggle with this part. Back then the knowledge or technology just wasn’t available, I mean they struggled just to explain natural phenomenon which is shown to us in many of the bibles stories like the story of Lot’s wife. But since we are in an age that technology and knowledge are much greater than ever before then we could ask that same question about anything, right? Why do we get to drive and not have to hike thousands of miles? Why do we have machines that do work for us but the beginning of time man did not?

We have evolved and while doing that we have gained knowledge ironically like we are told in the bible we would and that we would suffer greatly for having that knowledge. It is the way it is supposed to happen at least that is what I believe.

Don’t take this the wrong way I am not including the good normal portion of society in my example but knowledgeable people are mass murderers unabombers and usually most organized killers have IQ’s upwards in the genius level, think Ted Bundy.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
~Genesis 2:17

@nofurbelowsbatgirl Yes, you can ask the same question about anything.

I guess being from a group of people who have suffered more than our share it makes it pretty hard to believe in God, but there are still Jewish people who do, so who am I to say, I certainly can’t speak for everyone.

I have absolutely no problem with people believing in God, I only have a problem when that belief, or a religion, harms people.

@glacial I haven’t checked to see yet.